Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Any kind soul got to hand a copy of the Chorley OTU losses book and could look up one for the above unit on the 17/2/1944

Lancaster in question was R 566? CE -O

Cheers

Gary

Hi Gary,

In the Royal Air Force Aircraft book, the only Lancaster I have found in 5 LFS with R566? is Lancaster I R5668 O for orange (the previous one is R5658 and the next one is R5692) and there is nothing written in Chorley OTU losses book on 17/2/1944.
Regards.

Bruno

I don't believe it! I have just joined this forum specifically to answer this question and you've just beat me to it! I come to the same conclusion as Bruno.

Welcome!

Haha ... thanks chaps yes that was the one ... I have some interesting pics of a prang it had on that date and thought it might be in the losses book.

According to an online source Lancaster R5668 first went to 106 and 207 Squadrons and then DBU, 1661CU and then to 5LFS

It became 4901M 4STT whatever that means

Cheers

Gary

The 4901M bit refers to the machine ceasing its flying career and being placed on the Maintenance Register as a ground instructional airframe. I think 4 School of Technical Training was at St. Athan in S. Wales. Some aircraft can live on for years in this way, being abused by trainees. If it follows a crash, then it indicates the structure was substantially complete and can be put to further use, rather than lying in a crater, a pile of ash, or scattered across several fields.
By the wars' end, such a fate prolonged its life rather than a quick scrapping. Early on in the war, a "lightly crashed" craft was prized for such purposes as the fuselage of, say, a Wellington, being up on jacks in a flying position, to teach Airmanship to a newly formed crew as part of their OTU training.
I'd like to see your photos please.

The Syerston ORB for Feb 44 doesn't record any crashes. That not to say there weren't any, just none causing sufficient injury to trouble the sick bay. Something happened in March 44 to occur a trip to Rauceby hospital for someone, but details of circumstances an aircraft involved were not deemed sufficiently news worthy to record (over and above the weather, station dances, library loans etc.)

Many thanks for the info .. Will scan you some of the images and send them to your email
Cheers
Gary

Here is one of the photos showing the prang to R5668 CE - O
Regards

Gary